British Cycling launching eRacing championship in 2019

British Cycling will launch a new virtual reality championship; an ‘eRacing’ championship, the first of its kind in the world. The competition, which is expected to start in February, will see thousands of riders competing in a simulated 3D environment by using their bike, a turbo trainer and the popular online app Zwift, which is used by around 500,000 people in 195 countries.

Zwift is a multiplayer online cycling and running video game and physical training program that lets its users train and compete in virtual cycling. British Cycling, the main national governing body for cycling sports in Great Britain, has agreed to a two-year partnership with Zwift to accommodate the eRacing championships.

In order to get into the tournament, riders will have to race through a number of qualifying events. The best performers of the qualifiers will then go through a number of different race formats. To qualify for the finals, however, riders must first have to be a member of British Cycling.

Cycling now joins the likes of basketball, football, and motorsports, among others, in the ranks of traditional sports intersecting with esports through competitions. However, cycling as an esport is different to many other sports because it’s not virtual; you have to push on the pedals, so it’s a real physical effort.

UCI, the world’s governing body for cycling, has expressed its intentions to launch a global championship for cycling esports.